Forum

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

i adopted a rabbit maybe late last year, and he has been wonderful. But tomorrow i MIGHT be buying a baby rabbit from someone who seems sketchy, but im really impatient and dont know when i'll find a baby holland lop that's for sale. i do understand why buying from breeders is bad and that there are already enough homeless rabbits, i am sorry but i would like to raise a baby rabbit. that being said, i am not entirely sure if im getting that specific rabbit tomorrow? because the seller (is or was part of arba, and used to show) seems very sketchy.

she repeatedly told me the rabbit was $(dollars) in cash, i already got that the first few times. and she does not seem very interested in my questions. i asked for a different picture and she flat out said "no" (only reply in the email) and on her site she states she will" under ANY circumstance will NOT meet up at her residence" so we're meeting at a fast food place - an hour away from me. and when i asked if she was healthy she said she was and when i asked if she kicks or fights she said no. i mean why would she agree to that? here's the part that's even more sketchy: on her site in her photo album it says she is getting another baby bunny/ has bunnies that are too young to sell and i asked her if she was getting more bunnies in the future and that i am able to wait and her answer was "no" (again only response) which i know is a lie. and she claims that "she only has one rabbit left" which may or may not be true, she has sold other rabbits so this isn't just like a one time sell thing. but maybe the baby bunnies have been reserved a long with the other rabbit - lots of possibilities. i know this situation is very sketchy, but should i just drive there, ask to see the rabbit first and see if it's healthy and stuff before handing her my money? (VERY pricey for a pet quality holland lop - below 60$ but more than 40$) what should i look for when i see the rabbit? we are meeting at around 6:30 and it'll be dark by then, i know i should look for no crustyness around the eyes or nose, no poop stuck on the bottom, but what else? it'll be dark so i dont know if i can see properly, and it'll probably be scared so it'll be tense. but if it does not seem healthy i will not get it!

EDIT: also hahahahah sorry i completely forgot the whole point of this: my question is, will my current rabbit be jealous? i plan on keeping them separate until i can spay the other rabbit (said to be a girl but will go to the vet to be sure) and if the bonding process doesn't work i still have the time and room for 2 rabbits living separately. do you think my rabbit will get jealous? i will still take him out but eh still worried! what do you think?

LBJ10Bunny Name Master

Forum Leader

7133 posts

11/09/2012 6:29 PM

A reputable breeder will let you come to where the rabbits are kept. I've never heard of buying a rabbit in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. I would be careful. Buying the rabbit from her is probably a bad idea anyway, but there is also the risk of this being a scam. I've heard of this happening where the people agree to meet somewhere and then they rob you. So please please be careful. At the very least, take someone with you.

I honestly don't know what else to tell you to look for. There can always be things wrong that you can't see just by looking. That is why it is better to get a rabbit from a shelter or a reputable breeder. You have the option to take them to the vet to make sure everything is okay.

To answer your question, your current rabbit wouldn't be jealous in a way we would be jealous. But he may notice you giving the new bunny treats or pets and think those things should be for him. If you bond your current rabbit to a new one, then they will work an arrangement out amongst themselves.

FrankieFlashMichigan

1715 posts

11/09/2012 6:30 PM

Most definitely. You'll want to keep them in separate rooms until you get vet check- for the health of your current rabbit. They'll have to be separated for play times and you'll have to wait at least 3-4 months before getting her spayed probably 6 to be safe and then a month after that before introducing them- so be prepared for a long time until you can safely introduce/start bonding them. I say definitely about the jealousy thing because when we brought Sweets home from the humane society she was in living room and Bunjamin would be waiting for us at the door when we'd come to his side of the house and immediately want attention. It's hard I'm not going to lie.

I understand the baby thing too because heck that's how I started being a bunny slave (and probably most of us here did) but if someone offered me a baby bunny right now I would turn them down (help them find it a good home but not keep it myself). They are super cute when they are young but they are also so much more naughty. Their taste buds constantly change, they constantly find a way of escaping enclosure, the high energy and everything- it's just a lot of work. I love seeing the personality of my buns and the buns I rescue when they come out of their shell. The breeder you are talking to...to me if she's not letting you see her place of breeding it makes me think she does have something to hide. I don't have a high opinion of people who make money breeding animals to begin with but I'm not going to lecture you on that. I'd say go with your gut and be prepared of what you might have to deal with. I also think in best and worst case scenarios. Hope this was of some help!

lifeasweknowit

133 posts

11/09/2012 6:37 PM

yeah i agree, this whole thing seems VERY sketchy, but i mean she's going to get sold anyway, and plus like i mentioned before im not sure if i'll find another opportunity to get a baby holland lop. but now i dont know if i want one! i mean (i mean obviously if the bonding works out months from now) i dont want my current rabbit to get mad at me or change his personality now that i have another rabbit? he is VERY curious not shy AT ALL just. i could not have asked for a better rabbit. and i feel kind of bad that ive only had him for maybe a little over half a year but not a year yet, and im already wanting to get another rabbit (and i promise you i will not want another rabbit after this, i really would like to have the expierence of taking care of a baby) but i dont want to break that bond between me and my rabbit! he is so great, i am so grateful. it would break my heart if he got mad and changed his personality! and yeah i am taking someone with me, i am kind of concerned and worried but its at a dq so maybe other people will be there? if something does happen

FrankieFlashMichigan

1715 posts

11/09/2012 7:10 PM

I would recommend just keeping them separate for now if you don't want his personality to change. Although I do believe they can smell other rabbits on you. We just washed our hands and tried to split our attention. I don't think his behavior will change if they're not housed together though.

lifeasweknowit

133 posts

11/09/2012 7:20 PM

here is the problem, they will be in the same room :| is that bad? my room is small but not cramped, there will still be enough room with 2 cages. actually after some thinking, i mean how drastically can my rabbit's personality change? he is actually pretty dependent now that i think about it/ am watching him this very second! but he ADORES to be pet and will come when i say his name in an excited tone of voice (probably thinks there's food) but he goes back to his cage to rest/ drink/ potty. maybe getting him a friend will actually be for the better? when i first get the rabbit i think i can keep it in a separate room until i can get it checked out by the vet, but UNFORTUNATELY! my usual rabbit savvy vet is on a "maternity leave" which sucks because she is such a fabulous vet! oh well i guess i can find another vet on the list of approved vets in my area! i will definitely go to her for when i have to fix my rabbit (turns out when i took my current rabbit for a check up, she most likely neutered him because she fixes the rabbits from the rescue i adopted from)

lifeasweknowit

133 posts

11/09/2012 7:23 PM

but i mean for the first week or two it could live in a separate room but im not sure permanently. i also have a yorkie that i love so so so so much and he is turning 11 this january and if the rabbit has mites or something contagious the last pet i want to be sick is my dog. i mean, he is very old. i dont want ANY of my pets to contract ANYTHING but you know yeah

Beka27Cleveland, Ohio (USA)

Forum Leader

15857 posts

11/10/2012 4:35 AM

Purchasing a rabbit from a breeder is a legitimate option. But, I would caution you against getting this rabbit. She sounds like a backyard breeder who doesn't focus on the health or lineage of her rabbits. If you want to go through a breeder, that's definitely your prerogative, but go through a reputable breeder who has pride in their operation... where you can go and SEE their set-up, and choose a bunny from a litter of several.

Meadow.....
...... Max, my angel bunny

CupcakeandDizziesMom

237 posts

11/10/2012 5:03 AM

In my experience with having 2 bunnies, I have found that there is some jealousy...with mine, there is lots! It may not be this way for everybunny, but it may happen, so be prepared! I had Cupcake for about 6 months when I decided she needed a friend to keep her company while my hubby and I were at work. I found a local rabbit rescue and let Cupcake choose her own friend. They were good friends when they met, but when Dizzie arrived at home, they decided being friends wasnt an option anymore. I have mine seperated and when I am with one, the other one gets jealous. If I handle Cupcake, Dizzie gets "snappy" and I have to give her a time out. If I handle Dizzie, Cupcake will pee (sometimes on me, but mostly on the floor). Needless to say, I have to change clothes a lot! But also, keep in mind that if they are seperated because they dont like each other, you might feel some guilt when you pay attention to one and not the other. I know that I do!! Good luck getting the new bunny, but I agree, a reputable breeder will allow you to see where the bunnies live. Trust your gut and do your due dilligence when you see the actual bunny. Maybe bring a flashlight or something so you can examine her a bit.

Stickerbunny

3931 posts

11/10/2012 6:35 AM

If you are getting this rabbit and then immediately housing it in the same room as your current one... I would pass up on it. Because this breeder does sound sketchy and if the rabbit has an illness that is contagious, you could lose both the baby and your current rabbit if they are housed in the same room. Backyard breeders care NOTHING about the health of their animals, just the money they can get. They are often housed too many to a cage, not cleaned properly, never vet checked, etc.

As for how much can he change? When I got Stickers and she was in the room with Powder, he only had eyes for her from the second I brought her in and had little to do with me. When I separated them into different rooms he went back to his normal self (she was temporarily in the room since I knew she was healthy being from a foster). When I then began bonding them, Powder wanted her over anything else, even before they fully bonded. Now that they are bonded and living together, she's his #1 priority, food is #2 and human attention ranks a low #3.

The difference between him before and after bonding was..

Before: He used to sleep in the bed with me, he would sleep during the day by my chair just to hang out with us. He would chase me around the house and do bunny races with me (if I started running he'd chase me and binky). He would sit for a full hour to be pet, on the bed, on the floor, he really didn't care he just loooved being pet. He'd even leave his food to come get pets. Was a total sweetheart and love bug.

Now: He still likes to be pet but it's rare he lets you do it for long, because Stickers isn't as friendly and he has to be with her to be happy. So when she's ready to leave he leaves and he doesn't care if that means leaving his humans anymore. He spends most of his time in the bunny room with her, I see him a few hours a day at most. He never, ever wants to play the bunny chase game anymore, why should he, he has Stickers to chase. He won't come to me for pets, but if he's already relaxing laying around he'll accept them. Mainly he just wants to be with Stickers, his little bunny wifey and cuddle. Humans are not that important anymore. I'll probably never get a bunny sleeping in the bed again. And he can't be fully free roam of the house like he used to, since when they bonded the litter habits went out the window and are still sketchy at best, plus Stickers is a chewer and she can't be allowed unsupervised and since he won't leave her, neither can he.

I see it as kind of like when your kid grows up and gets married, you are no longer #1 for them, but they still love you... just their husbun/wifey take the spot of most important. Which is fine, he's happy and she was saved from a bad home, so that is all that really matters. I do kinda miss my snugglebun though, having him stay around me like a puppy was cute. But, watching him with his girl is cute too.

lifeasweknowit

133 posts

11/10/2012 7:17 AM

i agree this sounds very mysterious, i will go and check it out but if it is obviously sick (isn't very responsive, tons of fur is falling out etc) then i will pass up on it. and ah my rabbit will pee on my bed sometimes if i dont have a second litter box out on my bed when he's out. but i will try to check her ears (for mites) and skin/ fur for any missing patches of fur, mites, fleas, ticks but i can imagine it to be hard cause 1) it will be dark (granted i can look at her from inside the car but it would have already been too late as she would have driven off with my money) 2) bunny fur is somewhat thick and 3) fleas ticks and mites are usually very small. i will look for flaky skin which might be easier to spot then fleas and whatever insects at night.

ah i mean i really enjoy my rabbit being friendly he LOVES being pet, like power was to sticker bunny before she adopted stickers. i dont think my current rabbit NEEDS a friend, he seems pretty content, but i dont think it will HURT him to have a friend? i want him to be happy and spoiled but i also dont want him to ignore me/ not want pets.

and i really dont want my rabbit to become jealous and get mad at ME, like if he's jealous and does things to get attention but then when i go over to pet him he appreciates it/ loves it - that's perfectly fine with me.

also @ stickerbunny: i plan on keeping her in a separate room for the time being. this is what i had planned in mind: IF i do get the rabbit because it seems healthy, then i will bring it home and examine it under bright light (restroom or kitchen with some sort of barrier around me so if it bolts it wont get lost) and if everything seems alright (no flaky skin, no insects - i will try my hardest to scope through her fur, i might use a flea comb but her might be too fluffy?, nothing in her ears - no mites or discharge, double check on the eyes and nose and i will check on her teeth, i will check her toes, rear, and see if there are any bald spots, and / or abscesses)

i really wish i could meet earlier! but i am busy up until maybe 4, but usually that's when i start cooking + i am a bit tired at that point and it is an hour away.

but she has a facebook page which i checked and it has around 45 likes, it's not a big rabbitry or anything so i guess that's okay? not to be stereotypical: but her english was kind of broken, maybe she is from a different country? i do understand that sometimes people who's first language is not english may seem a bit aloof through online talking as they are unsure of what to say, because on her facebook page she still seemed uninterested.

You are not authorized to post a reply or you have not verified your email address.